Burn Me To Ashes
by MonstersSympathisers
Summary: When Grillby finds a strange letter that fell from the surface, he doesn't realize how much it can bring to him. Sweet words from a stranger become a strong friendly bond between monster and human and could morph into more... If only the barrier wasn't standing between them, if only the past wasn't lurking in the shadows ... A story between Grillby and a human girl (OC). (I don't
1. Chapter 1 : The very beginning

**Chapter 1 : The very beginning**

Everything started with a piece of paper that fell in the underground. Grillby had accompanied Sans to the ruins and was returning to the bar when a white letter had stolen his attention. Surprised, he had read it :

 **Hello dear !**

 _No matter who you are, this message is adressed to you._

 _But first things first, let me introduce myself._

 _My name is S. Odds. I'm 19 and actually studying fine arts. You might be questionning my sanity right now... Just know that I recently decided to embark on a rather foolish adventure. This world is lacking love, comprehension, kindness, friendship and I know darkness can be suffocating sometimes. To face this issue, I decided to spread some of my positive thoughts._

 _No matter who you are, where you come from, just know that your life is as valuable as any other. You're not alone and, even if I don't know you, be sure that I care about you. You matter. You're precious and important so please, take care of yourself._

 _You can keep this letter somewhere, anywhere... And remember to read it again if you ever feel down or lonely._

 _Best regards,_

 _S. Odds_

 _P.S : If you ever feel the need to communicate, you can send something here ._

At the end of the letter, an address was written. It had taken long minutes to register what he had just read. After the first surprise, he had felt cautious about the paper, then curious. Who would want to say such things to a complete stranger ? Was it a trap ? After all, it came from a human... He had turn the letter again and again, observing it in silence and concentration before realizing that it meant no harm. Without really noticing, he had started to walk again, tucking the letter under his waistcoat for further inspection. Then, he would throw it away and continue his life...

…..

…...

…...

A week later, the letter was still in his apartment, on his desk, neatly unfolded, next to a blank sheet of paper. He hadn't been able to throw it away. At night, he kept reading the lines, attracted to the kindness shown through some ink.

It might be foolish, others might thing he was crazy but, after a whole week of hesitation, he decided to answer. Should he tell Sans about it ? How would he react ? No... It was far to early. He didn't even know if he could send something across the barrier after all... With these thoughts, he had started to write.

 _Miss/ Mr Odds,_

 _I did received a letter from you, mentioning such agreeable thoughts that I found necessary to answer you._

 _My name is Grillby, I am a bartender._

 _I wanted to inform you that your message arrived at Mount Ebott and hope it is of no disagrement for you._

 _Thank you for your kind words, I gladly return them to you._

 _Best regards,_

 _Grillby._

With that he had gone to bed, satisfied by the brief and courteous message. He had managed to give as little information as possible and, if the human had heard about Mount Ebott, there were chances to never receive a letter again. All in all, everything would be as before, his spirit would be concentrated on his work again and nothing would bother him anymore. He would ask Sans to pay his tab, the skeleton would shrug, the dogs would continue playing cards...

The bartender closed his eyes, hoping to fall asleep quickly. Tomorrow promised to be an eventful day. Tomorrow, he had to send his letter and it wouldn't be an easy task...

However, after two hours, he was still wide awake, thinking about the mysterious expeditor, about humans, about other times... About war, about death... In a little time, he was reminded of his traumatic past, of all the blood shared because of humans. Behind his charcoal eyes, he saw his fallen comrades again, as if they were real. An instant he was laying on his bed, the other, he was fighting in the offensive again. With a jolt, he stood up and went in his living room, pacing like a madman to get out of his panick attack...

He had finally managed to fall asleep three hours later, exhausted, haunted by shadows and screams...

All because of damned letter...


	2. Chapter 2 : A friend on the other side

In the shadows of a starry night, two blue orbs were gazing at the sky. The moon was bathing the countryside with a soft and reassuring glow. A human layed on the grass, deep in thoughts. It had been a week since she sent her letter down Mount Ebott's crater. It was a foolish idea that started with a simple legend circulating among Ebott City inhabitants.  
After all, it was common to tell local tales to newcomers. Some neighbors brought her cake or pie, others brought old stories. And between embarrassing anecdotes and funny runs of bad luck, she had heard something that froze her to the bone. It was a legend about a war and monsters sealed away because of human's intolerance and hunger for power. While the storyteller had been really enthusiastic about it, she only felt sadness and grief for the oppressed ones, slaughtered and deprived of light. After this story, she had went straight to bed, being too uncomfortable to care about cooking. The night was spent tossing and turning, having nightmares.

The following days weren't any better. The young woman couldn't set her mind on something without thinking about the war. She felt like those teenagers who tell each other some creepy stories, not really believing them but not totally sure that they're fake and imagining things afterwards. God, did she felt stupid!  
However, as time went by, an idea made its way through her brain. She could always send a "message in a bottle" to test the waters. If there was an answer, then... Then... It was ridiculous...  
But ridiculous or not, she did it. A few days later, she had dropped a letter in the pit of the mountain.

A freezing gust of wind brought her back from her thoughts and she realized how tired she was. Too preoccupied by her memories, she didn't noticed that it was time for her to go to sleep. She had to work the following day, which meant meeting new people, having to talk to them and seem friendly no matter how she felt. It was always difficult to be accepted in a group of persons when you were new and hesitant. Her past had been a lesson... If you show any sign of weakness, people will use it against you. That's exactly why she was stressed out. She knew how she reacted in front of possible dangers. When it came to protection, she was ready to fight like an animal. It had always been a big problem of her personality, causing trouble for her as much as for her family. They would have wanted their little girl to be social, to make lots of friends... But they had a young woman that was running away from society she didn't fully understood, seeking solace in Art.  
She sighed, disliking the path her thoughts were taking. Her parents weren't here anymore to make her feel different and deceiving, it wasn't the right moment to dwell on that. The air was way too cold for her and the night was here since a long moment. It was time to go. With one swift motion she picked up her coat and put it on, returning to the quietness and solitude of her apartment with a hint of biterness.

When she arrived, her neighbors were inebriated, singing loudly on awful music and she could hear many feminine giggles. The night would be long... Again. She hated loud people... Another flaw of hers. She wasn't as lively as other youngsters of her age, favouring peace and quiet. Another shout, another giggle and she tightened her fists, murmuring to herself:

 _-"People really don't know anything about respect."_

But as soon as she said that, she felt guilty. It wasn't their fault if she was this lugubrious.  
As she sat on her bed, her eyed wandered until they found writing paper scattered across the kitchen table and her mind started wandering again. A sigh escaped her lips... She hadn't received any answer from Mount Ebott, so she should have been relieved. All about this legend was fake, only meant to scare children and keep them from the mountain. After all, an accident could arrive at any moment and she could imagine how dreadful it would be to have kids falling in the crater. Yeah... It must have been a way to protect people, a normal and common thing…

So why was she frustrated by this?


	3. Chapter 3 : Alea Jacta Est

It was late when Grillby finished his working day. After the early night frenzy, everybody had retreated to their houses in order to get some sleep, or at least some peace. Even Sans had left, much to his surprise. He was always the last one to go, finishing his bottle of ketchup and throwing some -annoying- puns at him before taking leave. He sighed, glaring eat the mess some monsters left for him to clean up. Don't be mistaken, he really loved his job but sometimes it could be exhausting as hell...

Plus, today should have been special. The letter wasn't going to send itself to the human world. Unconsciously, he patted his waistcoat pocket, feeling the two envelopes within. A wave of hesitation overtook him again. Should he really respond ? Another sigh escaped his lips while he began tidying the bar. It was pitch black outside and no sound could be heard. It was really late...

About a good hour later, everything was perfectly organized . He sat behind the shiny counter and without even realizing it he had the letter in his hands, unfolded, his charcoal eyes sliding over the curvy handwriting of his correspondent with a conflicted look. He was balancing the pros and cons again... and, lost in between the words, he didn't even heard the typical "poofing" sound of teleportation nor did he saw the eye sockets fixated on him in a suspicious expression.

 _-"What's this Grillbz?"_

The bartender's concentration shattered ans he jumped from surprise folding and tucking the paper back in his pocket with anxious precipitation.

 _\- "I didn't heard you coming Sans... I thought you had left for the night. Did you forgot something?"_

To say he was feeling extremely awkward was an understatement and the way Sans was staring at him didn't eased his nerves at all. There was a moment of heavy silence before the skeleton's serious reply.

 _-" No, I didn't forgot anything..."_ he seemed to hesitate before continuing _"you acted strange today. What's bothering you friend?"_

That was it. Of course Sans would have seen even the slightest changes in his behaviour. Should he tell him?.. That was a crucial question. All monsters were wary of humans but the short guy seemed to be especially defensive. The last thing Grillby wanted was to enter an argument with his friend, over some letters and a human. It was late, he was tired and needed to rest. The week had been rough and the lack of sleep was taking a toll on him. If only the nightmares could go away... But the memories were carved into his mind. He never totally returned from the front, never totally recovered from the atrocities of war. Somewhere deep inside him, he was split. There were two Grillby: The courteous bartender, taking care of his everyday routine, calm and patient , and The General who fought and killed, hidden in a corner of his soul, ready to brawl and destroy. Oh, how he hated this one, the one that remembered him of smoke, screams and burned skin. He wasn't this monster anymore, he would never be "that" again.

 _-" Grillbz? Come on bud,what is it?"_

This time, Sans' voice was sincerely concerned. In less than a minute, the usually calm and composed bartender had begun to shook, his gaze unfocused. It couldn't mean anything good.

Grillby only shook his head, taking a moment to calm down before answering in a low tone.

 _-"Promise me not to make a scene about it first..."_

 _-"I... I don't like to make promises..."_ The skeleton's concern grew even more when he saw his friend frown. _"Listen, I will try to be as quiet as I can okay? Just answer me... You've been acting strangely since you accompanied me to the Ruins."_

Without a word, Grillby reached for the letter and gave it to Sans. He waited patiently for his reaction while his friend was reading. A moment later, he was in front of a rather disturbed skeleton.

 _-"Is it... Is it really from the surface? I mean, there's a barrier between us and the humans! It's impossible..."_

The bartender breathed a few times before explaining his week and decision, not believing his own words. After a long debate, Sans stood up and gave him the letter back.

 _-"Okay... If you're sure about your decision, then I respect your choices. You're my friend Grillbz and... I might just know a way to make your letter pass across the barrier."_

And that he did.


	4. Chapter 4 : It's make or break

It was a beautiful day outside. Birds were singing, flowers were blooming. On days like these… She loved to go for a walk in the woods. The sun was shining trough the leaves, bathing her small frame in a warm glow. All her past worries were long forgotten as she strolled along the visible roots on the ground. On her way, the young woman noticed a small cabin and approached it cautiously. After a little moment of inspection, she reached for the doorknob and…

Jolted awake in her bed, torn away from her dreams by the loud ringing of her intercom. She hurriedly picked it up, hearing her postman's voice on the other side.

\- "Miss Odds! It's been awhile! I have some letters and a little package for you! Could you come down please?"

\- "Hold on! I'm coming right away!"

She smiled widely, putting some clothes on before leaving her one-roomed flat and going downstairs. She was greeted by a gray and rainy sky but the postman's greetings warmed her mood. A little conversation and a bright smile later, she was back in the safety of her studio, her post in her hands. The young woman put everything on her bed, checking what she received.

The package was from her art shop and she had letters from her parents, her school and… The third hadn't any return address but the handwriting was neat and elegant, something she took time to admire. Finally, Miss Odds opened it gently, pulling the letter out of its envelope and started to read:

 _Miss/ Mr Odds,_

 _I did received a letter from you, mentioning such agreeable thoughts that I found necessary to answer you._  
 _My name is Grillby, I am a bartender._  
 _I wanted to inform you that your message arrived at Mount Ebott and hope it is of no disagreement for you._  
 _Thank you for your kind words, I gladly return them to you._

 _Best regards,_  
 _Grillby._

The letter fell from her hands and landed at her feet. She stood there, flabbergasted. Did it really meant… No. It couldn't be! During an entire week, she had waited for a sign but, as the days went by, she had lost hope… And now? Now, what was she supposed to do? To think? She was so much focused on her desire for an answer than she didn't even thought further than that.

The young woman picked the letter from the floor, sat on her bed and read it again, and again, and again, until the words didn't made any sense at all. Then, she really understood the consequences that this simple piece of paper would have on her life. She now knew that this horrendous legend was true, that people were trapped Mount Ebott's pit. She had thrown her letter INTO the crater so she was certain it was no mistake possible…

Something clicked within her. She absolutely had to reply! The sooner, the better! In a tornado of blond hair the young woman grabbed some paper, her favourite pen and started to write. After a dozen of rough drafts, her writing came flowing. Finally satisfied, she proofread it to be sure.

 _Dear Mr. Grillby,_

 _I hope you're doing fine. I wanted to thank you for taking time to answer my first letter. I must admit I wasn't very confident about it… Many people would have considered me utterly crazy but you were very polite. What a nice surprise!_

 _I'm really happy that it ended in your hands, in Mount Ebott. To be honest, that was the intention. I'm new in the city and I heard legends about a war that tore people apart… I was upset about it._

 _I think you guessed what I am now… A human. Maybe deep down within you, you hold a grudge against humans, including me (and I totally understand it), but I assure you I don't support what my kind did to your people. I hate war as much as I hate injustice._

 _If you ever want to communicate, don't hesitate to write to me. I could send you some news from here or anything… If I can help you in any way, let me know. As said in my first letter : I care about you._

 _Please take care of yourself…_

 _Sincerely yours,_

 _P.S : It's Miss Odds ;)_

She wasn't sure about it in any way but she had to try. In a rush, she left her studio and ran outside. It didn't took her more than fifteen minutes to reach the Mount and, with a determined sigh she dropped the letter. The white rectangle fell, became a little point before totally disappearing …

….

…

She was suddenly struck by the darkness of the pit.


End file.
